Drox Operative - Review @ RPGCodex

December 29th, 2012, 01:50

Soldak's Drox Operativehas been reviewed by RPGCodex finding it to be a Diablo-like with a twist.

Overall, I enjoyed playing Drox Operative - especially experimenting with different ship builds and trying out all the different weapons this game has. There never was any moment where I thought the game was amazing, quite the contrary - sometimes its shortcomings became all too apparent after a long gaming session (such as the relatively slow movement speed considering the size of the gameworld, the lack of enemy variety, and a very unstructured difficulty/level progression), but for some reason, the game managed to keep me on my chair for hours at a time. I start a session to play a little, and suddenly, three hours are gone. I blame it on the fact that it's a rather solid ARPG that attempts something that has never really been done before - putting the player into the world of a strategy game with competing factions and letting him interact with them in any way he likes.

a rather solid ARPG that attempts something that has never really been done before - putting the player into the world of a strategy game with competing factions and letting him interact with them in any way he likes.
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So it is a RTS game but it has to be a ARPG.

On one hand, every game that is going to be release is going to be a RPG.

On the other hand, this trend of seeing RPG in every game possible smells of desesperation: it shows that there are few RPGs out there, and that people are ready to compromize anything to try to increase that number.

It is fairly easy to see all the strategical dimension in this game which is about taking and developping strategies to win a sector, strategies that have to be decided in real time.
Real Time Strategy, just as so many Paradox games are.

It is fairly easy to see all the strategical dimension in this game which is about taking and developping strategies to win a sector, strategies that have to be decided in real time.
Real Time Strategy, just as so many Paradox games are.

It is fairly less easy to see where the role playing is.

I disagree. Compared to games like Diablo, this is as much of an RPG as those are, the gameplay is much closer to your average ARPG than to a RTS like starcraft or Sins of a Solar empire if you want a space likeness. The RTS goes on behind the scenes, you're not controlling anything else than your spaceship, the only "strategy" part is what race you choose to help.

If on the other hand you define RPG as actually playing a role, more akin to the infinity games than Diablo, then no, Drox Op. is not an RPG. Neither is Diablo, Torchlight and a whole lot of other loot-fests. I tend to agree with this view, as those games are not what *I* look for in my RPG's. But it's still commonly accepted that even ARPG's are RPG's.

It is fairly easy to see all the strategical dimension in this game which is about taking and developping strategies to win a sector, strategies that have to be decided in real time.
Real Time Strategy, just as so many Paradox games are.

It is fairly less easy to see where the role playing is.

If you'd like to point me towards those Paradox games where you play and control a single character only, I'll accept your "great argumentation". A Paradox game bears absolutely no resemblance to Drox other than the most abstract concepts and I'm afraid you've only further undermined your argument by raising it.

It is fairly easy to see all the strategical dimension in this game which is about taking and developping strategies to win a sector, strategies that have to be decided in real time.
Real Time Strategy, just as so many Paradox games are.

It is fairly less easy to see where the role playing is.

This is just stupid, lets be honest. that's like saying because we have to use strategy to win a fight in an rpg it's a turn based strategy game.

Originally Posted by Dhruin
If you'd like to point me towards those Paradox games where you play and control a single character only, I'll accept your "great argumentation". A Paradox game bears absolutely no resemblance to Drox other than the most abstract concepts and I'm afraid you've only further undermined your argument by raising it.

It is a game of number? Recorded. So it excludes any party based so called RPGs right? Or does it not?

Crusader Kings 2: you control one character at the time. My great argumentation is accepted or should I brace for evasive manoeuvers again?

Originally Posted by ChienAboyeur
It is a game of number? Recorded. So it excludes any party based so called RPGs right? Or does it not?

Crusader Kings 2: you control one character at the time. My great argumentation is accepted or should I brace for evasive manoeuvers again?

I cannot understand your first two sentences.

Re Crusader Kings, I haven't played it personally, but I suspect you are playing semantic games. Is your one character not a proxy for controlling an army? Seems unlikely to me the game features one character that single-handedly conquers Europe.

Re your reply to Rune74, then by your own rules, Drox is an action/RPG. The primary element is action. The strategy elements are tertiary.

The fun in games like these are loot and to see new levels, how does a new "level" look in a game that takes place in space - a new color in the background? seems dull.

-- "Since you are sharing your opinion with others you might give a false impression to those who haven't played the game yet." zahratustra shares his view why i'm not entitled to have an opinion on RPGwatch

Originally Posted by Dhruin
I cannot understand your first two sentences.

Re Crusader Kings, I haven't played it personally, but I suspect you are playing semantic games. Is your one character not a proxy for controlling an army? Seems unlikely to me the game features one character that single-handedly conquers Europe.

A proxy for an army? in CK2, the strategy applies to improve the standing of your dynasty.

In Drox operatives, the avatar is a ship, with crew in it and you can order your allies in war, peace etc…

So you neither single handledly conquer a sector in this game, far from it.

Re your reply to Rune74, then by your own rules, Drox is an action/RPG. The primary element is action. The strategy elements are tertiary.

Strategy is primary. Combat is dull in this game.Most of the times, it consists of keeping the weapon button pressed.

What matters the most is how get your path to victory by making the most of the various assets that are available.

Action RPG is a non sensical label and one could also craft a label like action strategy. Which would not represent the game fairly as it is more about strategy then combat.

There is no role playing in this game and by far, strategy is the dominant aspect in it.

Originally Posted by vurt
The fun in games like these are loot and to see new levels, how does a new "level" look in a game that takes place in space - a new color in the background? seems dull.

The fun in this game is that the universe operates on semi self sufficiency. You have to strategize your access to victory. Working on your stance toward the various protagonists is what makes the victory: you can go silent, bothering little and try to run out by instilling fear, you can go diplomatic, trying to ally the species (some are more likely to go along), you can trade like fast (when you do, you cant rely on a single customer as they spend their own money) Loot is secondary. You wont have time to examine your loot as the pace is fast. Most of you can do is to go for a determined developpment course and stick to the relevant looted items until victory is near enough to give you time and breathe in to look for the items.

Originally Posted by ChienAboyeur
The fun in this game is that the universe operates on semi self sufficiency. You have to strategize your access to victory. Working on your stance toward the various protagonists is what makes the victory: you can go silent, bothering little and try to run out by instilling fear, you can go diplomatic, trying to ally the species (some are more likely to go along), you can trade like fast (when you do, you cant rely on a single customer as they spend their own money) Loot is secondary. You wont have time to examine your loot as the pace is fast. Most of you can do is to go for a determined developpment course and stick to the relevant looted items until victory is near enough to give you time and breathe in to look for the items.

Ah, thanks for the info

-- "Since you are sharing your opinion with others you might give a false impression to those who haven't played the game yet." zahratustra shares his view why i'm not entitled to have an opinion on RPGwatch